Separating apparatus



Oct. 25,1938. E. COWL-ES 2,133,974

SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1935 to N Patented Oct. 215', 1938 I 1 UNITED STATES c I sErARaTmG APPARATUS Edwin Cowles, Hopewell, N. 1., asslgnor to The Cowles Company, Princeton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 20, 1935, Serial No. 27,604 I 4 Claims. (01. 9249) This invention relates to separating apparatus adapted for the treatment of solids suspended-or entrained in liquid, and bases an object the provision of an apparatus in which solid materials; or selected sizes or types of solid materials, may be separated from the liquid or from other sizes or types of solid materials inthe liquid.

-It is a further object of the invention to provide a relatively small inexpensive apparatus which will perform an efficient separation without the use of moving parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. a

A preferred embodiment of the invention select- 1 ed for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a section on the line l-I of Figure 2. v

Figure 2 is a front elevation with the door opened to show the interior.

As a specific example of the use of the apparatus, it will be described as it may be employed in the paper making industry in the preparation of stock from waste paper.

Waste paper which is commonly used as the raw material in the manufacture of certain grades of cardboard and the like contains considerable quantities of trash in the form of string, rope, excelsior, rubber bands, hair, metal objects, glass,

80 wood, etc., which have to be removed at some stage of the preparation of stock. According to usual processes for the preparation of stock, the waste paper is first treated in a breaker beater where sufficient water is added to provide 85 a consistency of 4% to 5% of solid material. In the breaker beater the waste paper is partially defibered and some trash, but not all, is removed. The partially deflbered stock discharged from the breaker beateris thinned by the addition of water 40 to a consistency .of approximately 1% for subsequent treatment.

The apparatusof my invention may be employed to treat stock as it comes from the breaker beater after it is thinned, but prior to subsequent 4,5 treatments. Alternatively, the stock discharged from the breaker beater may be thinned and then subjected to a separating treatment as by screening, and the rejected stock or screenings, which will then contain a very high percentage of trash, 50 may be treated in the apparatus of my invention after adding water. to reduce the consistencyv again to 1% or less. The latter is the preferable mode of operation. In eithercase, the apparatus is'used to separa epieces of trash from the .6 partially deflbered stock. Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a nozzle I having a slightly flattened mouth 2, the said nozzle being mounted to direct theflow therefrom toward a funnel shaped opening 3 which receives the flow from the nozzle. 5

Interposed between the nozzle l and the opening 3 are a plurality of blades 4 set edgewise to the flow from the nozzle with the faces of the blades parallel to the axis of flow. The said blades extend transversely across the, flow, the 1 length of the said blades being suflicient to extend through the flow from one side to the other. The spacing of the said blades depends somewhat on the nature of the material and the size and nature of the solid objects which are to be removed. In treating stock of the type hereinbefore referred to in which the consistency is 1% or less, the blades may be spaced relatively closely in order to separate out relatively small objects. For example, spacings of from A to 20 have been found satisfactory, but spacings of as much as 1".have been found satisfactory where larger objects are to be separated out or when the consistency ishighe'r.

In order to prevent solid material from stick- 25 ing to the blades and accumulating thereon, it has been found advisable to arrange the blades so that the angle between the edges of the blades and the axis of flow at the entering side is relatively small. On the other hand, as the blades extend through the flow, it has been found that the angle may be safely increased without danger of solid material clinging to the blades. Accordingly, in order to avoid excessive prolongation of the blades, they may be curved as illustrated in Figure 1 so that the angle between the edges of the blades and the axis of flow at the point where the blades emerge from the flow is considerably greater than the angle at which they enter the The blades may be supported at one end, preferably the upper end, in a slotted bar 5 with their ends bent over and clamped between the bar 5 and the bar 6, the said bars being secured together by bolts 1. 4 are unsecured and' are free to vibrate under the influence of the flow from the nozzle 1.

The partially treated stock containing the trash which is to.be removed is introduced through the nozzle I under pressure, and it'will be apparent 5o that while the fine fibrous material which is suspended infthe water will pass thrcughthe blades, pieces oftrash will impinge on the blades and will be deflected out or thepath. of the flow and will slide along the blades under the com- 55 The lower ends of the blades bined influence of the force of the flow and gravity. In the case of undeflbered pieces. of paper material, the action of the water pressure against the blades is suflicient to tear such pieces apart so that they pass through the blades with the fibrous material. The vibration of the blades caused by the force of the flow serves to dislodge any material which might tend to lodge between the blades, and also aids in causing the trash to slide along the blades after it is out of the direct path of the flow.

Located below the blades 4 is a screen 8 adapted to receive and drain the trash which is removed by the blades 4. Preferably the said screen is inclined as illustrated in Figure 1 so that the trash will slide down the screen slowly while draining before being ejected. Some useful fibrous or pulpy material may be carried ofl with the trash, of course, but if the stock is flowed at low consistency, the amount of useful stock lost is very small, particularly in view of the fact that,undefibered pieces tend to pass through the blades rather than being separated out.

Preferably, the said screen should not extend beneath the blades 4 because of the possibility of catching fibrous material dropping from the blades, and accordingly the screen is offset laterally therefrom. In order to prevent material from accumulating on the-upper edge of the screen, it has been found desirable in some cases to insert a baffle 9 between the ends of the blades and the upper edge of the screen. The

said baffle is provided with a smooth rounded upper surface so that any material deposited thereon quickly tends to fall ofi.

As a matter of convenience, the parts previously described may be mounted within a casing l whichprevents splashing and also serves as a convenient support for the various parts of the apparatus. Thus the nozzle 1 is mounted on the top of the casing, the bars 5 and 6 are bolted to the sides of the casing, and the baflie 9 is secured to the sides of the casing in any suitable manner as by welding. Preferably the said screen 8 is pivotally mounted on the casing so that its inclination may be changed as desired to secure proper drainage. The lower end of the screen may be supported by pegs fitting holes I l in the side of the casing so that the inclination of the screen may be readily changed. If desired the casing may be provided with a hinged door I2 giving convenient access to the interior.

It will be understood that the-invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention: 3- V 7 1. Apparatus for theseparation of solid matherefrom, said screen flow of liquid fromsaid "nozzle.

terial from liquid, comprising, a nozzle, a plurality of spaced blades extending through the path of flow from said nozzle, said blades being set edgewise to said flow with the faces of said blades parallel to the axis of flow, the edges of said blades being curved so that the angle between said edges and the axis of flow increases progressively, but is always such that separated solid material'tends to slide along the edges of said blades out of the path of flow from said nozzle.

2. Apparatus for the separation of solid material from liquid, comprising, a nozzle, a plurality of spaced blades extending through the path of iiow'from said nozzle, said blades being of relatively thin, flat material set edgewise to said flow with the faces of said blades parallel to the axis of flow, the edges of said blades being inclined with respect to the axis of flow at an acute angle less than 45 degrees, and such that the flow from said nozzle causes solid material to slide along the edges of said blades and thereby be moved gradually out of the path of flow from said nozzle, said blades being flexible and secured at one end only, so that the free ends are free to vibrate transversely under the, influence of said flow.

3. Apparatus for the separation of solid material from liquid, comprising, a nozzle, a plurality of spaced blades extending through the path of .flow from said nozzle, said blades being set edgewise to said flow with the faces of said blades parallel to the axis of flow, the edges of said blades being curved so that the angle between said edges and the axis of. flow increases progressively, but is "always such that separated solid material tends to slide along the edges of said blades out of the path of flow from said nozzle, saidblades being secured at one end only, so that they are free to vibrate under the influence of said flow.

4. Apparatus for the separation of solid material from liquid, comprising, a nozzle, a plurality of spaced blades extending through the path -of flow from said nozzle, said blades being said flow with the faces of said blades parallel to the axis of flow, the edges of 'said blades being inclined with respect to the axis of flow at an angle such that separated solid material tends to slide along the edges of said blades out of the path of flow from'said nozzle, a screen arranged belowand laterally oflset from'said blades to catch and drain the solid material discharged being out of the path of EDWDT COWLES. 

